Fate
by MandELLA
Summary: REAL CHAPTER 13 UP! REALLLY!Starts a day or two before the movie. Kat and Bianca have to go live with their mom. Thus, a diffrent cast (sept K and B) and a diffrent setting, everything changes,yet stays the same...
1. A New Life

A/N: Ok. Don't hurt me. I like the dad, too. PLEASE. Thank you.  
  
Oh, and for my purposes, Kat's and Bianca's mother's name is Sharon. Is it? I seem to remember that name…well, anyways, it is now. If ya know 100% what her name is, I would love to know, so put it in your review.  
  
*I mean NO disrespect to anyone who has had to go through any of this. I personally have no experience, so I am just guessing. *  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kat. Or Bianca. Or their dad. Or Sharon, I guess. I own Brad. As for the rest of the characters…decide for yourself ;)  
  
FATE  
  
By MandELLA  
  
A knock came at the door of Bianca's classroom. The skinny, self- assured, mouse-teacher strode across the classroom to answer it. After a few moments, the teacher closed the door, and motioned to Bianca. She rolled her eyes. God, during my quality note reading period. Couldn't they wait 25 more minutes for gym? But she shoved her note from Chastity into her purse, then collected her stuff and trudged to the front of the class. "Um…the, um, fr-front office wants t-to talk to you." Mrs. Grand mumbled.  
  
The first week of school, and already I'm called to the front office. Great. To her surprise, however, Kat was there, too, slouched in a chair, with a look to match Bianca's annoyance. But annoyance was lost when the girls learned why they were called to the office.  
  
The principal looked at the girls with what Kat perceived as compassion. In some wild hallucination, she could have sworn she saw a tear. This gave her enough lax to let out the breath she had been holding in. She wasn't here for outstanding disciplinary reasons. "Girls," The principal began, "I'm afraid you'll need to sit down. I have some bad news." Kat looked to Bianca, and they shared a look before Bianca rolled her eyes and looked back to the principal. Little did they know their world was crashing down on top of them. "Your father was in a car accident on his way to work this morning."  
  
Oh, God, no. No, no, no, no, no.  
  
"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but he died before he reached-"  
  
Kat slammed her fists down on the principal's desk. "NO!" She cried, before fleeing his office. Bianca just sat there. She couldn't handle pain like this. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't think. After a few seconds of being an unfeeling mass, emotions came. They burst the dam. She buried her face in her hands and began to weep. The principal gently ushered her out into the hall as he began a conference with the counselor to decide the Stratford sister's futures. Phone calls began.  
  
* * *  
  
Kat didn't know where this highway was going to take her. She didn't really care. If she was caught, if she was suspended, it didn't matter. She needed to escape. If she wanted anything, Katarina Stratford WANTED to get caught. If she was caught, they would call her father, and if her father knew, he would yell and scream, and lecture, and ground her. And if he could do that…  
  
She didn't hate him. She just wanted freedom, and because of her stupid, STUPID mother, he was afraid to loose the rest of his family. And she finally understood how he felt. Kat turned her thoughts to Bianca. What would happen to her? She thought. We can't be separated. She's all I have, my only family. If mom were still here, we would have been all right. But she left. I hate my mother.  
  
With that, Kat turned her car around and drove back to Padua High.  
  
* * *  
  
"Mom?!" Bianca sat up from her scrunched position, and tried to brush back some hair from her face, unbelieving what she saw. The last time she had seen Sharon, she was still in Middle School. Flash backs raced through her head:  
  
Her mother screaming.  
  
Her father pleading.  
  
Her mother packing wildly, randomly shoving clothes and shoes into a large, blue suitcase.  
  
And finally, her mother throwing divorce papers into her "daddy's" face.  
  
Then she was gone.  
  
Her mother was gone.  
  
No one knew Bianca saw that. She wasn't supposed to. It was 1:30 in the morning, but the screaming woke her up. And now her mother was back. It didn't take long to realize why. The principal MUST have tracked her down.  
  
Her mother was her only family, so she would have to live with her.  
  
Bianca REALLY didn't want to.  
  
"Hi, honey." Her mother greeted her with syrup loading in her mouth. A tall man with too-blonde hair, too-white teeth, and too-Ken doll-type of body stood beside her mother. In fact, Bianca mused, he practically is Ken.  
  
"Hiya, Katar-"He began. Sharon elbowed him and cut him off. "Er, Bianca." At this, they both stared at her with even brighter smiles.  
  
"Oh, my, God. You're the med. student." Bianca said. My mother ran away with this guy. For a brief second she stared vapidly at him.  
  
As if to attract the attention back to her, Sharon put her arm around the man's waist, and her other on his chest. "This is Brad Leigh." Her ring finger sparkled from the diamond rock on her finger. She smiled down at her daughter.  
  
Things were not going good for Bianca. As she muttered, "Oh, Kat, get me outta here." She tried to paste on a smile, but even Bianca, who had been trained to smile even the worst of conditions, couldn't bring herself to smile as her life tore apart. My daddy died, my sister disappeared, and now my mother shows up with the man who was 'better' than daddy. She acts like she still knows me. Like she still kisses me on the cheek goodnight. "Well you don't." Bianca said aloud, accusing. "You never will."  
  
Her mother continued smiling, but the smile was mixed with confusion. "What, dear?" Bianca looked away. Where did my mother go? This woman is not the mom I remember.  
  
Swallowing rage, she looked back at her mother. "Nothing."  
  
* * *  
  
The next week, Kat looked one last time at her house. She tried to memorize its frame: Bianca's window, the balcony, the porch, and the window she used to read near. Now the room was empty. Her room was empty. Her dad's room was empty… A knot welled to in her throat, but she pushed it down. She only cried twice. At the funeral, and when she said goodbye to Mandella, her best friend. She didn't need to add to this. She sniffed once, and ducked down into her car. After much begging, she convinced her mother and Brad that she COULD drive well enough to go across the country to a small town in Georgia, where her mother lived.  
  
She gripped the wheel as she called out the window. "Bianca! We're leaving!" Bianca stopped hugging Chastity, her best friend. They both shouted to each other "I'll call you!" as they did the international telephone sign. Then Bianca climbed into Kat's sedan and buckled just before Brad sped off in his Ferrari.  
  
What seemed like ten million miles later, Brad finally pulled up into a driveway. Kat's eyes scanned her new house. It was two stories, and gray and white in color. The 2nd story was accentuated with 5 windows. The first floor's front door was rather simple, with only a small "welcome" sign to liven up the bleak whiteness.  
  
Unnecessarily, Kat looked at Bianca. "We're here."  
  
* * *  
  
So! How did you people like it? Well, I know, it really isn't that happy, but I PROMISE it does later. If you like it, I would really love it if you reviewed. And, as I said before in my last Ten Things fic, if you don't review I don't update. Sorry, Grace, if you are reading this now, but "Mandella's Diary", won't be updated if it doesn't get anymore reviews. I had to force two other people to review it. And I don't think it's worth it to update if no one cares. Sorry. If you like the story, take 10 minutes out of your time and read AND review Mandella's Dairy. PLEASE. PLEASE. Thank you. It was my first fic. I wrote it a year before I began to publish it. Why do you think my pen name is MandELLA??? I know, I'm obsessed. But it actually gives Mandella a character, and gives her depth, and a life, and it's funny. Kinda. I think so. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ AND REVIEW IT!!!!! Just even a little "I read this, and liked it, and please update it." Will really make my day. And I will, if ppl just ask. Thank you.  
  
The sad authoress,  
  
MandELLA 


	2. Of Ella and the first occurance with Fat...

A/N: For those that don't know, this fic starts a day or two before the movie. This means no Patrick, no Cameron, no Joey, no Michael, and only briefly Chastity and Mandella. Sorry. But don't worry. It all works out. Fate loves things to turn out right, and no matter how you twist things, she always finds a way to do what she wants. : )  
  
A/A (author's apology): I haven't updated for awhile cuz I was outta the country over the Easter holidays. And for spelling mistakes. Not enough time to correct them  
  
  
  
Bianca smiled. "Thank goodness! Twenty miles ago, I realised that my shoes don't match my top."  
  
Kat looked over at her superficial sister. She hated when Bianca acted like this. "No one can see your shoes."  
  
"So? If I had to go somewhere, someone could SEE me."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Well, at least now I can finally change tops!" Bianca nearly bounced out of the car.  
  
"Not shoes?"  
  
"Uh, noo! These shoes are WAY too cool for that. I bought them just for the first day of school here." As she watched Kat get out of the car, she sighed and gave Kat a cross between hopeful and pathetic look. "Hey, Kat, I know I'm a pain sometimes, but…"  
  
Before she could finish the sentence, however, a lazy voice interupted her. "Dang, Sharon, your ex musta been really ugly. Look what trash he made." Both Kat and Bianca's heads whipped around. A girl wandered out from the darkness of the garage to the outside light. She opened her diet coke and took a long slug of it.  
  
"Ella!" Their mother cried. "If you don't have anything nice to say-"  
  
"Say it when they are outta earshot." She intterupted.  
  
"Your grounded, young lady." Sahron demanded.  
  
"Whatever." She started to go back into the garage when she scaned Bianca and Kat up and down one more time. She snickered, and commented. "No wonder you left him."  
  
Bianca couldn't take this. "You B***H!" She screamed. Bianca ran up the stairs, and into the house. When she realized that the couldn't just run up to the second story and down to the end of the hall to her bedroom on the right, she ran around the house until she found a phone. She didn't care that it was long distance. She fully intended to spend the rest of the day saying "OMG" to Chastity.  
  
Ella didn't care. She heard the door slam, and she heard the telephone being dialed, and she heard her new-found stepsister babble. If she needed, she could listen in, but that could wait until later. Every day she got this, and every day, she responded with about 12 non-coherent cuss words… if she was in a good mood. She tall, long, black-haired, blue-eyed junior gave up caring twenty minutes earlier, when Jared broke up with her for cheating on him. Luckily Jared didn't know that she and Alex had more than just 'held-hands' at the movies. God, that was so elementry. No, she and Alex had been together for the past two months, though doing nothing worse than some completely innocent making out. That wasn't as bad as when she was cheating on Bruce for Jared. Bruce was an idiot. Jared was only a moron * that's 50 I.Q. points difference *. He had actually belived Ella's pitiful, fake whimper when he yelled at her.  
  
It didn't matter. If she really wanted Jared, she could have had him. Any guy. She realised this about 20 minutes ago, when she heard the "I-am- willing-to-forgive-you" tone of his voice. With that tone, she had risen to Queen of Boys.  
  
Her game had just begun, and being nice was for those that didn't. And as for her two step-sisters? She had no reason to be nice to them. She had enough adoring slaves.  
  
* * *  
  
It took all weekend to unpack, arrange, re-arrange, and get settled. Sunday night, the night before the Stratford sisters had to begin again at Carter High School, Bianca found herself on the top stair of her front porch, dreading the next day. The door behind her opened, and soon Kat was sitting beside her, both drinking some iced tea. "I'm, like, sooooooo dreading tomorrow, Kat. What if nobody likes me?" Her face paled as she thought of the most horrific thing that could happen. "OhmiGod! What if I have to sit alone at lunch like some dork?" Bianca moaned. "That would be awful."  
  
Kat smiled and shook her head. Miss Popularity? Sit alone at lunch? That would be the day. "you shouldn't care so much what other people think. You don't always have to be who they want you to be, you know."  
  
Bianca, who wasn't expecting a Kat Lecture, was momentarily taken aback. She snapped. "I happen to like being adored, thank you." Then she shook her head, to clear her thoughts.  
  
"Déjà vu." The girls said as one. Kat looked uncertianly at her younger sister. "Let's go inside." Bianca didn't argue.  
  
* * *  
  
Kat groaned as she walked out of her room. "Am I doomed to stare at this for the rest of my life?" She was referring to Ella's bedroom door, which was covered in modeling shots and magazine advertizements. The sight wanted to make Kat throw up. She nearly considered ripping them down, except that she didn't really feel as though she actually lived in the house yet. Instead she went to the end of the hall, washed her face, and returned to her bedroom to get dressed for school.  
  
When she came down for breakfast, Kat offered to Bianca, who was finishing up, "Need a ride to school?"  
  
Bianca breifly imagined Kat's rust-brown and white sedan, and stopping at a red light while a bunch of potential friends drive up in a yellow jeep. She could imagine them staring, and turning away in disgust and fear. Oh, Bianca DID NOT want that. 'No thanks. I'll pass."  
  
Kat rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece of fruit from a bowl on the table. "I'm leaving in ten minutes. If anyone cares, tell them."  
  
But Bianca had to catch the bus. 'Sorry, you'll have to tell them yourself. She picked up her backpack and purse, heading out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Bianca dodged the shallow puddles that littered the road from the night before's rain. The dampness slightly annoyed her bacause she didn't want to get her new bamboo-syle sandaled heels wet. They had cost a small fortune. Her dress, mixed colors of a sunset, matched wonderfully. Bianca was positive she would look perfect. From behind, she heard the sound of an engine.  
  
The red viper slowly drove next to her. Inwardly, Bianca groaned when she saw who was inside. Ella called to her. "Bianca!'  
  
Bianca sighed and pursed her lips for a second. "Look, Ella, if you're showing off your car I don't care." When she didn't drive away, Bianca kept walking, and Ella slowly drove next to her, like a stalker. "Ella, go away."  
  
But Ella followed Bianca to the bus stop, and then turned around and drove to the end of their cul-de-sac. Ella started to race back up to where Bianca stood, waiting for the school bus.  
  
For a brief minute, Bianca thought Ella was going to hit her. She realized too late that there was a gigantic muddy puddle right in front of the bus stop.  
  
Ella however knew that, and after drenching her step-sister, drove off laughing.  
  
Kat saw the whole thing. She drove up to her soaking sister, as the bus passed the stop, without Bianca. "I'm still offering the ride, if you hurry up and change." Kat smiled sympathetically at Bianca.  
  
"Thanks, Kat." Bianca said softly and greatfully.  
  
They were still sisters, and sisters get mad at eachother. But now they were more- they were a team. Against Ella. 


	3. Meeting Ms Happy and Andrew

A/N : A really short, nearly pointless chapter… but not quite. It was fun to write.Promice more, longer chapters to come. Been really busy/stressful lately.  
  
Disclaimer; Do I own Andrew, or Ms. Happy? I'd like to tell you…but that's for you to decide. If you say I don't, then I don't. If you say I do, well then, I haven't done good enough writing.  
  
Ms. Happy? Kat mused almost laughing. What is this? The woman looked up from large, bulky monitor to Kat and Bianca. After a few seconds of blinking, she suddenly snapped to life, dug in a desk drawer, and slapped two softbound, notebook-sized books in front of them.  
  
"The Choices Book and Rules and Discipline for Carter High School Students." Bianca read the titles aloud.  
  
"Katarina, you won't need the first book, since it says here," Ms. Happy looked down over her granny-glasses at a paper of information sent from Padua. "that you are a senior. And you won't need to take any more new classes. Hopefully. Bianca, learn to love this book. It will guide you through your high school career." Ms. Happy droned, as if knowing that a flimsy book of classes to take could possibly "guide you through your high school career." But Kat did appreciate the disrespect in her voice. It meant that this counselor might actually have a clue.  
  
Ms. Happy stood up from her spinning computer chair. She meandered around the office for a second, collecting her thoughts before she turned to the girls, smiling ever so fake and knowing it. She stood in front of a large window that looked out to the bus lanes where students lazily hunched under backpacks snailed to school. "I'm sure you won't find Carter any different than your old school." A student with a blue Mohawk suddenly ran up to the glass, put his mouth on it, breathed hot fog onto it, and wrote the ever- intelligent "hi" in the vapor before it evaporated. He ran off laughing as Ms. Happy turn around, but gave the student the middle finger. "Same drugged up idiots everywhere."  
  
Kat smiled and leaned to Bianca and whispered "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."  
  
Ms. Happy, overhearing, responded with "Not anymore your not. Scoot!"  
  
Bianca was more than happy to comply. She had always hated being called to the office, now more so than ever. Kat let her exit first, then had to share the doorway and squeeze by another student as he entered the office, becoming the next victim of Ms. Happy's torture. Kat smiled as she lingered in the doorway looking at the boy's back. He had shoulder-length curly black-brown hair. He was built and about 6 feet tall. As Kat closed the door behind her, she heard Ms. Happy begin the session with "So, Andrew, we're making our visits a weekly ritual, are we now?"  
  
Sounds a bit like me… Kat off-handedly thought as she stared down a freshman that was in her way. She checked her schedule once more, and then headed off to first period English Literature with Mr. Moore. 


	4. Meet Joey

A/N: Woo! I am finally into the chapter that starts the story and gets the plot going. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: um…don't own anything. Ok, I own Elaine. My gosh, please notice Joey, and recognize Ella. * Take note: Joey is NOT Joey Donnor. Joey is Joey…um…Somebodyelse. *  
  
Bianca scanned the food court for someone to eat with. The ENTIRE place was full. She slightly groaned as she thought about having to throw away her food and just wandering ALONE the hour lunch period. Suddenly, she caught sight of a girl who was sitting next to an empty chair. As usual, Bianca noted the girl's style before anything else. The closer she walked, the more she agreed with her decision to sit next to this cinnamon-colored girl. Bianca even liked the girl's hair; black and down like Bianca's. Why, the girl was even wearing a pair of Sketchers!  
  
"Hey." Bianca said to the girl as she slipped into the seat beside her. "Um, my name is Bianca. Can I eat with you?"  
  
The girl, whose chocolate eyes scanned Bianca's, smiled. "Sure. Oh, my name's Gabbie." After an awkward moment of silence, Gabbie looked up from her pudding. "So, where'dja move from?"  
  
"Oregon."  
  
"Dang. This place like your old school?"  
  
"No." Bianca wondered for a second if this was really who she wanted to "be seen" eating with. All of her old friends were bubbly and talkative and open. Gabbie seemed…well, really low on the popularity scale.  
  
"Hey, let's ditch this food. It's too nasty to eat. I'll show you around." Gabbie spoke up as she walked over to a trashcan and tossed the plastic lunch tray and it's equally plastic food away.  
  
As they walked, Gabbie plastered on a smile. The smile wavered for a second as the two neared a group of boys and girls who were decked in every brand name out there. None of it really went together, but the colors matched. Gabby whispered to Bianca the closer they got. "These are Carter's 'beautiful people'. They won't talk to you unless you talk to them first."  
  
Bianca, forgetting to whisper, "Is that your rule or theirs?"  
  
Gabbie, while still grinning, replied "Watch and learn." The two of them continued walking past the group until Gabbie suddenly turned around and smiled patronizingly at one of the group's girls. "Nice skirt, Bobbi- Sue."  
  
The poor girl could barely mutter a "thank you" before the rest of them chorused like a bunch of third graders "Hi there, Gabbie!"  
  
Gabbie smiled pertly. Then she turned around and continued to walk with Bianca. "It's kinda fun, but my cheeks hurt from smiling so much." She looked down at her list of vocabulary words. "Bianca?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You smart?" After Bianca shrugged, Gabbie explained. "See, I know you can be Overwhelmed, and I know you can be UNDERwhelmed…but can you ever just be whelmed?"  
  
Bianca looked up thoughtfully for a second, and then answered. "I think you can in Europe."  
  
Gabbie nodded as if the meaning of life had been explained, and continued talking. At that moment, Bianca decided that Gabbie was defiantly popular enough.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh my gawd. I burn, I pine, I perish." Joey breathed as he caught sight of the most drop-dead gorgeous girl in the entire world: past, present, and future. "David!" He grabbed his friend's shirt collar. "Do you know who she is??" Joey didn't even know who this angel was a second ago, but now he felt like she was stealing his heart.  
  
"Reality Check." David waved his hand in front of his love struck friend. "Bianca Stratford. She's a sophomore. Listen, forget about her." David pointed to Gabbie, who was about ten feet from the both of the guys. "Look at who she's with. Remember her? Gabbie? The MOST POPULAR sophomore? Put her in your spank bank and forget about it."  
  
Not hearing a word of anything negative, Joey absent-mindedly agreed. "Yeah, right, whatever." Her name is Bianca.  
  
* * *  
  
A bit away, Ella was watching Bianca. Her friend Elaine commented sarcastically, "Queen of boys? Hmm."  
  
Ella boasted coyly " Have you seen anyone else get so many guys at once?" She smiled and they both rolled their eyes.  
  
Elaine scanned the scene and caught her eye on Joey gaping at Bianca." Well your little sister-"  
  
"Don't you DARE call her that!" Ella snapped.  
  
"I was just kidding." Elaine protested. "But anyways, look at that guy over there. He's crazy over Bianca. HE'S outta reach for you."  
  
Ella calmed down and scoffed. "No one's outta reach for me."  
  
Elaine lifted an eyebrow. They were hypnotize by the love crazed Joey. "Wanna put money on that?"  
  
This was soooo right up Ella's isle. But "the queen's" modeling career paid her enough. She laughed and bit her lip. "Money I got. This I'll do for fun."  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: U like? I like. Oh, short chapters rule now, so I can get chapters done quicker. Large chapters intimidate me, and I slow down on writing after a few lines. 


	5. Until School's Out, New Rule In

A/N: As I read all my reviews, I noticed a comment that said to (not in these exact words) "get away from the movie" and "the characters confused me"  
  
Here are my responses: The later I can understand. My fault. I did mix up some character's lines, and it the way worded Gabbie & Bianca's scene, it sounded A LOT like "The one where it's the other way around." I didn't mean to. I just meant to show off what a POPULAR person's pov of "the beautiful people" of Padua high might seem like. Just a bit of fun. As for the first comment, if you look at MY characters and Ten Things' ORIGINAL characters. you'll notice one BIG difference. ::Hint:: in this case, it would be W-R-O-N-G for Bianca to like "Joey Donner" character.  
  
You readers have figured that out, right? The whole who's-who, right?? If not, go to www.imdb.com or some other place where you can find a list of the actors and the character's they played in Ten Things I Hate About You. (Patrick's is his middle name) So as you see, I HAVE to "get away from the movie." But if you read the summary, the whole point of what I'm writing is that a lot can be changed, but some things are destined to happen. Have a nice day.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing and I am a non-profit writer.  
  
The next period, Art, Joey leaned over to David, who was sitting next to him. "Look at her." He motioned to Bianca, who sat a desk in front of him. "Is she always so-"  
  
Bianca was putting on her makeup. David searched for the right word. "Vapid?"  
  
Joey lowered her voice, but the intensity heightened. "How can u say that? She's-"  
  
David interrupted "Conceded."  
  
Joey moved his head so that he could see Bianca's face in her compact. He smiled shyly. "There's more to her than you think, David. I mean look at the way she smiles. her eyes. man, she's totally pure. Your' missing what's there."  
  
David waved in front of Joey's face. "What's there is just another of Gabbie's click who within a month will have nothing going on upstairs."  
  
In front of them, Bianca was dying as she looked over she schedule. "French?!" Bianca gapped at her schedule. She looked at Gabbie hopelessly. "I didn't sign up for French!"  
  
Gabbie, a bit too unconcerned asked, "Ju' ever take a foreign language?" Bianca shook her head and felt like she was going to cry. Gabbie was busy applying lipgloss. "That's why then. Here, it's required to take 3 years of a foreign language."  
  
Now Bianca was fixing her hair, trying to ignore the wrinkles her furrowed eyebrows were creating. "But then how am I going to pass-"  
  
Gabbie rolled her eyes. "Look at your schedule. Ms. Devereaux is giving you French I and II this semester."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Gabbie, I'm going to fail!"  
  
Joey took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second, and crossed his fingers. He opened his eyes and interrupted. "I'll tutor you." I'm a knight in shining armor. I'm a knight in shining armor.I'm a knight in shining armor.  
  
Bianca turned around, delighted. "Really? Oh, you're so sweet!" Joey shrugged it off, but was positively glowing, he was so happy. He turned back around to David.  
  
"I thought you were taking Latin.You speak French, too?" David asked  
  
Joey couldn't stop grinning like the fool he was. "No-but I will!"  
  
* * *  
  
A girl ran out of the girls' bathroom as she heard a loud bang up against the wall. "Don't you EVER treat my sister like that again." Kat growled as she held Ella pinned against the wall.  
  
"You're going to give me a bruise!" Ella wailed. "I do a swimsuit ad tomorrow!"  
  
"I don't give a s---." Kat continued. Then she grinned. "I have a reputation back at Padua. You REALLY don't want to know what it is, but murder is one of them. Do you want me to begin a new reputation HERE.beginning with you?"  
  
Ella was stunned. "I - uh, um."  
  
"You won't ever do anything again." Kat demanded. It wasn't even a question.  
  
Ella shook her head.  
  
"Good." Kat gave Ella a shove before she left the bathroom.  
  
Ella fumed before checking her back and shoulders for any marks. There was a handprint on her left shoulder. "Oh, they will pay," Ella swore.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that evening, Sharon and Brad were discussing what to do after Ella told them what had happened. "Honey," Sharon told Brad. "I don't understand it. Kat was such a sweet little girl when I left. I don't think that she would-"  
  
"Sharon! Kat tore up Ella's shoulder without any reason! That can't go unpunished." Brad countered.  
  
"Then what should we do?"  
  
"I think I have an idea if your daughters are anything like mine."  
  
* * *  
  
"So, after discussing, Your mother and I have come up with a fit punishment." Brad sternly looked at Kat and Bianca.  
  
Bianca stood up, appalled. "You mean Ella isn't in trouble?"  
  
"Sit down young lady." Brad demanded.  
  
Bianca was going to pull the 'you are not my father' saying, but thought better of it. Instead she sat down in a huff.  
  
"What I have decided to do is what I would do if there were two of Ella and they were in trouble."  
  
Bianca rolled her eyes. "Thank God there aren't." She muttered under her breath.  
  
"Until school is out, a new rule is in: Bianca may date, if Kat doesn't. One girl out of the two may date. It's between the two of you to work out who gets to date when." Then Brad left the room.  
  
Bianca smiled and stood up. "This is great! You're a mutant, you'll never date!" And with that Bianca walked out of the room. Kat followed with a half smile, unsure whether this was a good thing or not.  
  
A/N: oooo! U weren't expecting THAT, were u? Re-read it! Not, Kat dates, Bianca dates. It's Kat dates, Bianca DOESN'T date. ( 


	6. Andrew

A/N : HEY!!! I've missed this site soooooooooo much!!! K, well, here it is!! Sry for misspellings. THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own.um.nothing. Whatever.  
  
A few days later, Kat was once again on her way to Mr. Moore's English class. She was practically running, since she figured she was going to be late.  
  
About ten yards away from the classroom door and twenty from Kat, Andrew Becker was running in the opposite direction. If he were late again, he would have to suffer through detention - again. Lucky for him, the mad look on his face and his reputation preceded him and the entire student body backed out of his way.  
  
The two collided in front of the classroom door. Books and papers flew all over the place. Kat clinched her teeth as she got on her hands and knees to reclaim her stuff. "If this makes me late," She threatened to Andrew, "I will hunt you down."  
  
Andrew smiled skeptically. "Little miss perfect doesn't want to tarnish her record?" Everyone at this school was the same: Fake Kiss-ups. Her threat didn't phase him. Suddenly, the bell began to sound. Kat's eyes widened and she rushed to reach for everything, disregarding whos papers they were. Thinking quickly, Andrew grabbed her wrist and shoved his and her hands under the classroom door as the bell ended. Kat stared at him. "Are you crazy?"  
  
Mr. Moore opened the door, rather amused at the sight of two students on their hands and knees, with one hand outstretched. "Kat, Andrew," He acknowledged. He shook his head. "Andrew, does this even bother you anymore? Oh well, detention again!" Mr. Moore grinned evilly. He loved punishing people.  
  
Andrew smiled, too. He and Kat stood up. "Nope. The rule reads 'you must be in the classroom before the bell rings.' Technically, our fingers were." He smiled even wider a perfect toothy melt-your-heart grin and sauntered into the classroom.  
  
"Get in your seats and shut up, smart-alecs." Mr. Moore demanded.  
  
Andrew and Kat's assigned seats were next to each other in the front row. As he slid into his seat, Andrew noticed that Kat was still scowling. "Hey, I just saved you. I don't need this." He referred to Kat's look.  
  
"I wouldn't need your saving if you hadn't run into me." She snapped back.  
  
Andrew threw his hands up in frustration as Mr. Moore slammed a meter stick/pointer on Andrew's desk. Mr. Moore did this often to the people in the front row; more to delight in seeing them jump with fright than to get the class' attention. "Can anyone tell me what they thought of 'Dulce Et Decorum Est'? "  
  
Miranda, a Hispanic girl who sat behind Kat, raised her hand. "It was wonderful. Wilfred Owen writes so beautifully."  
  
Kat turned around, ready to express her opinion. "That poem?! Beautiful?" She asked in disbelief. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the front of the classroom, slouching back to her normal position. "Owen was morbid necrophobic who wrote about a guy who watched his friend die and didn't even bother to help him."  
  
Ella, two rows back, piped up. "This from a girl who can't even defend her sister?"  
  
Kat, without acknowledging the comment yet fighting back, said "But I guess the county thinks since Owen is popular and can't fight back, that he's worth out time."  
  
Although the one thing Mr. Moore liked more than punishing his students was to see them cat fight among themselves, he realized that he didn't want to assume the role of Jerry Springer. He was evil, but cultured. "Kat, since you seem to dislike Wilfred Owen so, maybe a different writer will spark that evil little brain of yours to start spinning." His eyes bulged for a second, and then he addressed the class. "Turn to page 327 in your Lit. books."  
  
When they had done so, he read aloud. "Excerpt this is Mr. Shakespeare's 141st sonnet. Since SOME people," Even being in the class a few days, Mr. Moore noticed how Kat disagreed with everything he said. Many times he thought this was a good thing, a sign of being evil, but most times he thought it was horrible, and that he needed to beat her with the "root of all evil" that he kept on his desk. Too bad child abuse laws refrained him from doing so. "dislike conventional style, I have an assignment, You have until the day before the finals, that's a little less than a month, to write an updated, modern version of this sonnet." When one boy in the back raised his hand, Mr. Moore glared. "I don't care what you think sir. Your opinion doesn't count. Only mine." He smiled evilly. Then he looked Down at Kat. 'And it had better be good." With the words "better be good", he rapped his meter stick on Kat's desk.  
  
Not paying attention in the least bit, Ella sat staring between the heads of Kat and Andrew. She brushed her silky ebony hair back with her fingers as she thought of what to do. Obviously, her father's punishment wasn't going to do anything because Kat was not.like Ella. She thought of what would make the two sisters go at each other. Bianca seemed normal. Petty, but normal. Ella was sure before the end of the year was out, Bianca would want a date. Especially for the prom. And Bianca would be horribly angry with Kat if Kat made it so that Bianca couldn't go. But that would only happen if Kat had a date.  
  
While she was thinking, Ella's vision went out of focus. She blinked a few times and once again looked at the space between her stepsister and Andrew. If Kat had a date. she thought again. With a smile she flicked her hair back behind her shoulder. Her father's punishment would work out quite nicely after all.  
  
* * *  
  
At lunch that day, Ella skipped her usual tofu-and-kelp that her manager suggested and went straight to the ladies bathroom. She looked in the mirror, pinched both her cheeks, put Vaseline (always ready in her purse) on her teeth, and extra gel in her hair. She laughed as she experimented opening her eyes really wide to look innocent. After about ten minutes of prepping, Ella decided she was ready to face a crucial "business partner" on her plan to make the Stratford Sisters miserable.  
  
Andrew Becker.  
  
After being a bit ticked about not being able to find the boy, Ella finally stumbled upon him on some bleachers near the football field. "Hey Andy." She sweetly called when she was about two yards away. On went her fake smile and wide went her eyes.  
  
To her annoyance, he looked away, as if not hearing her. A friend of his smirked nearby. Ella rolled her eyes in disgust to be near a . human.so repulsive. She turned her attention away and continued. "Andy, I know you can hear me. But since I know how much you despise me, I'm not going to talk about me,"  
  
"There's a first," He mumbled  
  
"Ok, well, I am, just for a second. See, I want to go out with this boy and I can't because-"  
  
He turned back to her, fire in his eyes. "Very touching, sweetheart. Not my problem. And I don't want to be party to help you trash someone else's life."  
  
Ella brushed it off. "You might be surprised at what I want. I want you to go out with Kat Stratford."  
  
He eyed her uncertainly. "Her?" He pointed out on the field, where Kat had just started a fight with another girl. Andrew knew very well who she was; he just couldn't believe Ella. "Yeah, sure. I'm right on it." There was an imperceptiable pause. "Not even for money."  
  
Ella smiled. "You sure about that?" She opened her purse and showed Andrew a fat wad of bills.  
  
Andrew laughed. It had to be a joke. But Ella wasn't joking. He looked at her, confused. "You're gonna pay me to take out that chick?" Ella, cool and confident, leaned next to Andrew so he had a full view of the cash. And, if he looked right, something else. With that, Andrew was tired of this. "As seductive as you intended that to be, I'm not taking the bait."  
  
"Not this time."  
  
"Get out of here, now." He growled.  
  
"Thirty bucks a date."  
  
"Sixty." Andrew clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he just said that.  
  
Ella smiled. "Fifty."  
  
"Deal." And so Andrew became the Devil's Advocate once again.  
  
* * * As lunch ended, Andrew walked up behind Kat. "Pussy-Kat, Pussy-Kat, how have you been?" He recited the old nursery rhyme, enjoying the pun he made.  
  
Kat, on the other hand, could only react with pure, unadulterated anger to the memories of Joey Donner and that pet name. "Don't you EVER call me that again." She nearly yelled. People actually turned around. Then they turned and whispered to each other, rushing out of the way.  
  
"There's a way to get a guy to like you. They say hello, you bite their heads off." Andrew sarcastically commented.  
  
"Works great so far." Kat responded pertly  
  
Remembering a flyer passed to him in the halls, Andrew pushed on. 'Big party Friday, I'll take you there." It was more a statement than an offer. She started to slid through the crowd. Andrew kept up with her by mowing them down.  
  
Kat laughed to herself. "Right," She said, bemused, "Friday." Attention on him was gone and she was already on her way to her next class.  
  
* * * When school let out, Andrew was by Kat's side. "So when should I pick you up?" He knew she wasn't going, but he was only in it half-heartedly.  
  
Kat rolled her eyes as he followed her out to her car. "You think just because you 'saved me' from a tardy slip that I need to repay you?"  
  
Andrew sat on the hood of her car and smiled his trademark smile. "Eight- thirty sounds great to me, too."  
  
Kat got in her car and began to drive away, not caring that he fell off.  
  
* * * Later that evening, The Stratfords and the Leighs were siting in their living room. Ella, Sharon, and Kat were engrossed in three different novels. Brad was reading the sports section of the week before, and Bianca was on a recliner watching MTV. It was an almost peaceful moment, until the phone rang.  
  
Kat was the first to get up. "I'll get it." She walked into the kitchen and answered the whining cordless phone. After a brief second, Ella heard Kat demand, "Where did you get my number?" Ella slowly put the book higher up, covering her delighted smile. Another second later, she heard Kat ask, "You never give up, do you?" Then she slammed the phone back down in its hook.  
  
"Who was it?" Brad tiredly asked when Kat walked back into the living room.  
  
"Wrong number." Kat blatantly lied.  
  
* * * The next day after school, Joey sat alone at a table in the media center. It was bad enough that she was late. But worse still, Joey observed, was that the Library Ladies were watching him sympathetically. Every so often he could make out an "Oh, poor boy." The teachers at Carter could be so annoying! Joey mentally defended himself. It's not like I mean to make a show of myself. Then he looked down and studied the "rings" from the "tree" that made the top of the library table. He knew it was plastic.  
  
But like a little boy, who's told not to do something, Joey couldn't fight the mental game. Once again, He looked up at the huge clock. And once again, the sympathetic noises could be heard. She was only five minutes late. Joey reminded himself.  
  
To his relief, Bianca suddenly rushed through the media center doors. She flew across the library to where Joey was now sitting up straight, and had unwittingly put his foolish-happy grin on. To his horror, when Bianca sat down, Joey heard a faint clapping that seemed to get louder. They turned to the check out desk, and the clapping stopped. The guilty library ladies had sparked a conversation, were fixing coffee, checking late books, and not looking anywhere near the pair.all at the same time.  
  
"Why were they clapping?" Bianca asked.  
  
"I thought we'd start with pronunciation." Joey avoided the question and opened his French book.  
  
Bianca giggled; Joey blessed the giggle. "Not the hacking and gagging part, please!" She smiled at him; Joey blessed the smile.  
  
Joey began to imitate a "hacking and gagging" Frenchman, just to hear the laugh. When he did, he looked around nervously. "Um, well, we don't HAVE to work on pronunciation. We could study their cuisine.Friday night.at Le Petit Bistro." He smiled hopefully and looked shyly at Bianca.  
  
She smiled, unsure. "You're asking me out?" She half-laughed.  
  
Joey could only nod and want to go back in time.  
  
She put her hand on his and asked, "what's your name?"  
  
Joey pulled his hand away and brushed back a bit of his brown hair that had fallen in his face. "Joey. Never mind."  
  
Bianca's eyes lit up at the sound of his name. "Joey?" She had a flash image of a Joey she had an extreme crush on back at Padua High. Then she looked back at the Joey in front of her. "What's your last name?"  
  
"Lovitt."  
  
"Oh." She looked around for a second. "Well, Joey Lovitt, I can't go out with you. See, my step-dad's got this rule where if my sister dates, I can't. And she's got this stalker that is gonna go out with her."  
  
Joey was thoroughly confused. He looked down at the carpet. "I could tell the guy to get a life."  
  
"Would you really do that for me?"  
  
Joey nodded vigorously. Bianca smiled. Then Joey asked. "Um, so what's his name?"  
  
Bianca thought for a second. "Last night I heard her screaming about Andrew Booker. So I think it's him."  
  
Joey blanched. "Andrew Becker?" He asked weekly.  
  
"That's it!"  
  
He nodded and said, "See you later."  
  
When he gathered up his stuff and left, A sheet of paper dropped out of his binder. Bianca picked it up and read it:  
  
Dear Joseph: I've seen you in the hallways and am mesmerized. The way you walk and the way you smile. You are perfect in every way! I will not whole until you are in my life. Love always, Ella  
  
Bianca smiled and laughed to herself. Ella likes Joey? She thought. Well, I just have to take the one thing that she likes away from her.  
  
So Bianca decided that she would get Joey to like her.  
  
* * * Joey crossed his fingers quickly and prayed they would still be there if he argued with Andrew. Before Joey reached Andrew though, David spotted him and ran to catch up with him. "Joey, what are you doing? Are you out of you're mind?"  
  
"I'm going to talk to Becker." Joey began to march to the spot where Andrew hung out.  
  
"The last person who "talked to" Becker left without his teeth." David informed, showing his own teeth.  
  
"I have to get Bianca." He continued to march.  
  
"Me Amigo, you have lost it." David raised his hands in surrender.  
  
Joey approached Andrew.  
  
* * * Five minutes later, Joey was up against a wall, two feet off the ground. Andrew was holding him up by his collar. "So tell me again why you are stupid enough to get in this situation?" He was beginning to be intrested in the guy with either enough guts or not enough brains to mess with him. He put him down.  
  
"I want to go out with Bianca Stratford. But I can't because you are going out with her sister-"  
  
Andrew finished "-because of her father's rule. Right. Look, I want Kat, and I want Ella Leigh to be unhappy. I don't care about the rest."  
  
Joey wasn't getting far. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Ella wants me. Ella really, really likes me. If I go out with Bianca, Ella will be unhappy."  
  
Andrew smiled at the thought of Ella not getting her way. But he realized, "Then I don't get Kat." Then he thought for a second. "I'll sneak your girl out of the house. Trust me, I have broken out of worse."  
  
It didn't need to be said. Joey and David belived him.  
  
"Ok, Lovitt. You go what you wanted, and I got most of what I want. One last thing: Kat."  
  
David spoke up. "We'll help you."  
  
Andrew smiled. "You'll help me tame the wild beast?"  
  
"We will supply much information." David promiced.  
  
Andrew smiled. "You've got a deal." As he began to walk away, he stopped. "How did you two know I was here?" He guestured to the side of the school.  
  
"We followed you." Joey answered.  
  
Andrew blinked and shrugged his shoulders, not sure he liked that idea. "Oh."  
  
* * * 


	7. Lock your door, Kat

Last updated: 07-15-02  
  
A/N: So sry if this chapter stinks. Oh, in the tape part, sound out what Kat is saying, and you might realize stuff Bianca missed. Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin', and I'm not even sure if I want to take credit for this chapter.  
  
  
  
Bianca squinted her eyes as she examined her manicure job. "So," she asked Joey, "I'm supposed to find out the likes and not likes of Kat because you want them.why?"  
  
"Bianca, it's kinda complicated." Joey scratched the back of his neck and looked around the library. Those Library Ladies elbowed each other and winked in Joey's direction.  
  
The dumb blonde inside of her wanted to accept it and do whatever it took to beat Ella. The rest of Bianca, however had to know. "Tell me, please." Without realising it, she batted her eyes. Even Joey realised it was fake. He shook his head.  
  
The Library Ladies looked at each other. They couldn't hear what was being said. One nodded knowingly. "Their first fight, how cute." And they sighed.  
  
* * *  
  
That night, around one, Bianca wondered why she got herself into this. She tip-toed to Kat's room and creeked open the door. She took out the hand held tape recorder and went over to where Kat was in deep sleep. At a sleepover, years ago, she heard that if you ask them a question while they were asleep, they would tell the truth. She was about to put it to the test. A part of her was a bit excited. She always wanted to try this. The tape began to roll.  
  
* * * ---- if one were to play the tape, one would hear this----  
  
Bianca: This is Bianca. Testing one, two, three. thump, thump is this on? the stop sound the start again sound Yup. It's on. Kat, are you awake?  
  
Kat: silence  
  
Bianca: Goody. Ok, um, uh, what is your greatest fear?  
  
Kat: silence slight snore  
  
Bianca: KAAAAAT. CAN YOU HEAR ME?  
  
Kat: slight nod ughhhh  
  
Bianca: sigh Ok. Um, er, puts down tape recorder one minute of blank tape tape recorder picked up Where are you?  
  
Kat: Schooooool.  
  
Bianca: whisper that is where she is in her dream. to Kat What are you doing?  
  
Kat: waaaaalkkkkkkkking. Wifth Ashrewww.  
  
Bianca: With who??  
  
Kat: Efill. Anshrew an Choee Onnerrrrrrr.  
  
Bianca: Choee? Chow? Cho? Jo? Joey? Joey?! How do you know about Joey?  
  
Kat: Efilll. Sherk. Hhhhhheeeeeeeeert me  
  
Bianca: ok. Joey, this is stupid. On to plan two.  
  
Kat: snore ---- End tape ----  
  
  
  
Thourally unhappy that the sleepover prank turned out to not be the fountian of truth, Bianca began to think of another way to present information of Kat. Then an Idea sprung up from the depth of her mind: A collage!  
  
So she began digging around. "Old Concert tickets.date book.Date book!" She began to turn the yellowing pages of the dusty book that she found in the back of a drawer. "Hmm.very old date book. Like, 8th grade. That's no good." She tossed the ripped apart book back into the desk drawer. "Photos, photos, Oh God!" She put her hand over her mouth. I had braces back in 3rd grade! Uggh. What AM I wearing? I had NO fashion sence whatsoever. These photos DO NOT need to go to Joey." And she shoved them back inside the depths of the drawers. She reached in and pulled out something else. "Hmm.Christmas list." She smiled pertly. "My, my Kat, we are ready for the holidays!" Bianca took this and put it into her robe's pocket.  
  
After doing a satisfactory of raiding Kat's desk, Bianca moved on to her dresser. In her sock drawer * a/n-I hate that word: drawer. *, the top one, Bianca stumbled onto something monumental. "Kat's Diary." She laughed lightly to herself. "I would have never guessed that she kept one." And she began to flip through to find a current date.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM???" Kat exclaimed and demanded from behind Bianca. She looked over Bianca's shoulder, and snached the diary from her pale, frozen, and shocked younger sister. Kat was apalled. Her room was the one place that was HER'S.  
  
"I was just trying to- " Bianca pathetically began  
  
Kat cut her off. "Read my diary?" She filled in. "Know my secrets? Distroy me? Pick one." She was NOT a happy puppy that Bianca 1. Woke her up because 2. She was in Kat's room and 3. Reading Kat's diary.  
  
Having no other choise, Bianca surrendered and fled the room. She locked her door and began to copy Kat's Christmas list and included a couple or other things that she had learned. All hopes of making a collage were abandoned.  
  
* * * Bianca gave Joey the list the next day, and he showed it to Andrew.  
  
Andrew had a nice day  
  
*A/A : I am soooo sorry that this is an awful chapter. I had no insparation. Can u just kinda accept that, that I slacked this chapter??? I am soooooo sorry. Really I am. But I have good plans for the next 2-3 chapters. This one was just a "I-have-to-get-this-outta-the-way" chapter.  
  
Peace, love, and Lollipops!  
  
MandELLA 


	8. Dost thou care'st to attend the dance by...

A/N : Ok, FINE, I'm not making u wait 10 reviews, cuz y??? YOU DON"T REVIEW!!! feelin' NO LOVE! So anyways, I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter. Hope you have as much fun reading it! PS Very sappy. But cute, too. I dunno judge for yourself. (  
  
Disclaimer : Mr. Moore is not real *cough. * however, All of Andrew and ect. Ppls lines are HEAVILY BASED on Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew by W. Shakespeare. (the balcony scene, act 2 for R&J, Act 2, scene 1 in TOTS) I suggest reading before reading this chapter so you get all the humor. And I just suggest reading Act 2, scene 1 in TOTS cuz it's my fav. I LOVE IT!! The 2nd to last paragraph is based on a paragraph by Gail Carson Levine, in Ella Enchanted I don't own much.  
  
The next day in English, Mr. Moore caught Andrew nearly asleep. In a state of ecstasy, his meter stick slapped on Andrew's desk ½ and inch from Andrew's nose. With all the indifference one can have when being "awaken", Andrew rolled his eyes and told Mr. Moore "it would been much better if I were really asleep." He grinned.  
  
Trying to cover his disappointment, Mr. Moore shot back, "Either way, Mr. Becker, you are in the WRONG play in "Collected Work's Of William Shakespeare." Though "Macbeth" is a good play, the rest of the class is reading "Romeo and Juliet." Please turn to page 651." Mr. Moore directed his attention to Emily McGriander. "You may continue reading you part."  
  
Andrew elbowed his friend next to him in the back of the class. He then slouched back in his chair. Mr. Moore called back to him. "Mr. Becker, don't get too comfortable. Ms. Happy's office. Get out of my class."  
  
A bit disappointed that he would have to suffer Ms. Happy, He grabbed his stuff up and began to leave the class. As he passed by Joey Lovitt's desk, Andrew noticed a doodled-over sheet of paper. ".What light through yonder window breaks- it is the East, and Bianca is the sun."  
  
Andrew laughed and shook his head. "D***, the girl's got you whipped." Embarrassed that someone saw it, Joey shoved the sheet of paper into his backpack. Then he smiled a bit, too. Andrew continued out the door. When he reached Ms. Happy's office, a pathetic idea to end all pathetic ideas came to him.  
  
* * *  
  
That night, Andrew searched around in the grass for a few small stones. The moon and the streetlights did little to help him differentiate the shadows of grass and pebbles. After collecting 3 or 4, Andrew tossed one up at the window above him. When nothing happened, he tossed two at once. A second later, the room lit up. Andrew called, "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Kat's the sun!"  
  
The window opened, and Ella, cocky even in mid-sleep, smiled and rested her elbows on the windowsill. "Wrong room, Romeo."  
  
"Pray tell, whose room this be then? Could'st be Tybalt, King of Cats?" Andrew called back.  
  
Ella smiled at this. "Rroouw." (She made that cat call noise that is hard to type). "Thou hast hit it. Queen of the household, including Kat."  
  
"Thou's ego speaks for itself. Thou must be Tybalt, and hated Capulet."  
  
Ella slitted her eyes and frowned "My only love sprung from my only hate, no?"  
  
"Ah, twist the knife. That I once loved a loathed enemy."  
  
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players- but what's my role? First Tybalt, then Rosaline." Ella loved this.  
  
"Ah, I the fool that removed you hither from your sleep wishes that I could remove you hence. Tell me where Kat lies."  
  
Being the annoying girl that she was and loving it, Ella asked playfully. "To tell or not to tell, that's the question. But for sleeping in class you sure know your quotes and characters." Ella nodded to her left. "Opposite side of the house. Around two corners. Can't miss it."  
  
* * * Andrew once again looked up at a dark window. Someone was sleeping in the room, and he wasn't so happy about waking them up. "If this is Bonko's room, or whatever her name is," he mumbled as he threw, "I'm going home."  
  
The room lit up.  
  
Filled with stupid happiness, Andrew called out, "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Kat is the sun!"  
  
"Oh my God. Andrew?! GO AWAY!" A voice called out.  
  
Andrew smiled to himself. "I got the right room." He thought.  
  
Kat opened the window. The light from the ceiling fan half silhouetted her. Her blonde hair set a ring around her face and down around her. To Andrew, she looked like she was glowing. Like an angel.  
  
"She speaks: O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art As glorious to this night, being o'er my head As is a winged messenger of heaven Unto the white- upturned wondering eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air." Andrew nearly smacked himself. "Get a grip!" He thought. "Angels don't wear XL jersey tops and boxers!"  
  
"Andrew, I don't want to go to the party on Friday. Especially with you." It all started with a party, Kat thought. I hate Joey Donner.  
  
"Are you doing anything better that day?" Andrew sarcastically asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then go with me."  
  
"No." She smiled, partially confused with this boy who was so persistent to go to this party with her. She could feel her will giving in.  
  
"Come on, Kat."  
  
Kat sighed. She rolled her eyes. " You never give up, do you?"  
  
Andrew and Kat smiled at this.  
  
"I'll go with you under the condition that you never, ever wake me up at" she looked over at the digital clock beside her bed, "1:30 in the morning."  
  
Andrew, drunk with happiness: the joy of the victory and the joy of a pay check called out " Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.a thousand times goodnight!"  
  
Later in bed, Andrew stayed awake for another hour dreaming of what he would do with the money that Ella was going to pay him for each date. But his last conscious thought was of Kat at her window, radiant like an angel. Her crimped, golden hair flowed over her shoulders. At first her eyes were burned of anger, but later cooled down to humor. He loved when her eyes smiled bright as her face.  
  
Andrew fell asleep with a grin. 


	9. the awful party

A/N: ok.I'm trying. Bit by bit I get this chapter up.only a bit more.trying.  
  
Oh, and like in the old, classic Disney movies, people randomly burst into song, well, my characters seem to randomly burst into Shakespeare, or something very similar to it. Just kinda accept this now.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ten things I hate about you, or anyone associated with it. Don't get me started if Andrew and Joey are mine. I just spent half an hour trying to figure it out. I do know "here I am" by Bryan Adams was not written in 1999. Deal with it. I don't own it. I don't own "she's so high" by Tal Bachman or "it's raining men" either. I don't own America's Funniest Home Videos. I don't own Titanic, I don't own The Tenth Kingdom. My gosh, this chapter is FULL of allusions.  
  
I own Cindy Maroow. And Gary. Use them if you wish, but tell me so in a review so I can read your story. Oh, gimme credit, too. Thanks  
  
That night, Andrew and Joey met at the Leigh/Stratford neutral zone - the next door neighbor's house. "Ok," Joey reaffirmed. "So while you get Kat, I'm getting Bianca out her window?" He looked uncertainly at the 10ft ladder in the bed of his Gumby-green pick-up truck. Together they took out the ladder and placed it up against the frame of Bianca's window. The boys mentally wished each other good luck and went towards their destinations.  
  
Andrew's stop began with the doorbell of Kat's house. Brad answered. "Hello. Andrew, - right?" Brad smiled his macho-dude smile, completing his "game day" look for the Braves' game on TV. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"  
  
Mentally slapping himself for his entire past, Andrew gave Brad a wry face. "Um, I 'm, um here for Kat."  
  
In the background, on the stairs leading to the bedroom hallway, Ella offered. "I'll get her, dad!" She stomped up the stairs to the bedrooms.  
  
Meanwhile, Brad let Andrew in and began to "chat" with him. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Brad asked.  
  
Brad wasn't stupid; he was just oblivious. " Yup." Andrew quickly answered.  
  
"Everything going well in school?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Kat a good girl?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Ella?"  
  
Nod. "Yes, sir." Lie. * * Joey was waiting in Bianca's room. Five minutes ago, she had asked him, "Stay right here. I'm almost ready." Bianca had been incredibly easy going with this part of the plan.  
  
However, punctuality was not her strong suit. Bianca fully intended to be ready by the time Joey showed up. But "the real world" came on.and then she ate dinner.took a shower. painted her nails.watched some MTV.watched some more MTV. had a verbal battle with Ella.and time just slipped away. It gave her guilty satisfaction that she had Joey around her finger, instead of Ella getting the guy. When Bianca looked in the mirror, she could have sworn she saw Ella instead of her own face.  
  
This horrified Bianca. "Ohno." She whispered to herself. Bianca whipped out her makeup remover and redid her makeup. "I'm NOT Ella Leigh. I swear on my cell phone, I am not Ella." She remembered her ruined shoes and dress from the first day of school. "No."  
  
Bianca decided she was ready for her first party in Georgia. * * *  
  
What's taking her so long? Andrew wondered. Before he could speculate, he heard a loud crash. Both he and Brad shut up and stared into the night through the oversized window in the living room. Andrew could barely make out Cameron begin to stand up, see Patrick and Brad, and duck back down in the bushes. Luckily, Brad didn't notice because Kat came thomping down the stair.  
  
"You aren't allowed to hold me, hug me, or touch me." Kat mumbled under her breath to Andrew as he smiled to greet her.  
  
"Oh, but your whispers are so enticing. And with your lips so close to me like this I can't help myself." Andrew playfully whispered back.  
  
Kat backed away and out the door to Andrew's car.  
  
Once on the road, Andrew burst out laughing. "Oh, come on, Kat. You know you don't hate me that much. You wouldn't have come with me if you did."  
  
"I still don't want to go to the party."  
  
"Neither do I." Andrew confessed.  
  
Kat grinned dubiously. "Then why are we going?"  
  
Remembering an ad he saw in the newspaper, Andrew turned off onto an exit. "We're not." * * *  
  
Ella laughed a long, down-to-no-breath-left kind of laugh. She couldn't stop. Everything was funny, and yet she didn't know (nor care) what in the world was funny. She just laughed and laughed and laughed. "I'm king of the world!" She slurred out on top of a chair at the club that the infamous party was being held at. Ella tried to place he empty Bud can near all her other ones, but her coordination gave out and she fell back into the crowd. She began to bodysurf along a wave of a thousand hands. At the end of the wave, Ella fell amongst a group of four or five hungry boys. She giggled and fell into one's waiting arms. He took her waist and the rest lewdly guided her to a back, more private room. * * *  
  
Bianca relished this. Everything was so exciting, so fun! An old song "It's Raining Men" just finished, and she made her way to the bar to take a breath. Two more songs whizzed by before Bianca felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around, midlaugh at a joke the bartender made. Joey gaped. She was absolutely real. In the dances, her makeup came off, and her hair fell out of her perfect, prissy bun and curled around her shoulders. Bianca's eyes and smile illuminated from a stupid joke. "Hi Joey!" She giggled.  
  
"Hi. Um, um, Ya-you wanna, you wanna dance with me?" He tripped over the words.  
  
With a nod, Bianca took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor.  
  
While dancing, Bianca couldn't figure out WHAT made this party so special. The city was bigger back home, there were more people back home, people stayed out later back home, and yet, this was SO much more fun. She couldn't stop smiling with Joey. "I can't think of when I've had more fun!" She breathlessly told him as she danced.  
  
"I would have never danced like this at my old school." She thought at a slow dance. "And I would have never, ever danced with Joey. I-I would have danced with.Joey.Donner." Looking of into the distance, Bianca pictured a dance with Joey Donner. She would be smiling, and so would he. Only, he wouldn't be smiling at Bianca. Joey Donner would have been checking out everything with legs. A month ago, that picture would have fit. Because It wouldn't have been about someone actually LIKING her, it was about being seen in the arms of THE MOST POPULAR BOY in school. Bianca smile briefly at the thought of being THE MOST POPULAR GIRLFRIEND, but then thought of what the party would be like at the end of the night: Joey would be hanging all over Cindy Maroow, Bianca's biggest rival for Joey Donner. Chastity and Bianca would be in the corner, saying nasty things about Cindy. Then Bianca would go home and silently cry her eyes out. The night would be considered a "success".  
  
For the first time in her life, Bianca was thankful that she had no reputation to live up to.  
  
"Here I am. This is me. There's no where else on earth I'd rather be. Here I am, just me and you. Tonight we'll make our dreams come true. It's a new world; it's a new start; it's alive with the beating of young hearts; it's a new day; it's a new plan; I've been waiting for you." Bianca softly sang along with the lyrics by Bryan Adams. It struck true. Very true. Bianca leaned her head on Joey's shoulder and they began to rock back and forth.  
  
"Joey?" Bianca asked.  
  
"Hmmm?" He responded  
  
"What are you thinking of right now?" She didn't really know anything about Joey, and now she really wanted to.  
  
"My uncle's lake. I almost live there in the summer. He has a boat, a pair jetskis, and water-skis. It's the reason I'm on the swim team."  
  
"Why are you thinking of that?" Bianca lifted her head off his shoulder and looked up at him.  
  
"Because I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go water-skiing with me this weekend. What are you thinking of?"  
  
"Saying yes." They smiled. Calm before the storm.  
  
Over Joey's shoulder, Bianca noticed Ella dancing, but to the wrong beat and entirely wrong style for the song. 2 or 3 guys were draped over her, until she spotted Joey and danced towards him. Her goons followed their queen. One cut in on Bianca's dance and Ella danced with Joey.  
  
"What are you doing?" Bianca pushed away from the boy.  
  
His breath stunk of beer. "Come on, dance with me." * * * Ella flung herself on Joey. "She doesn't want you. But I do." She mumbled almost incoherently.  
  
"You are so full of it." Joey shot back. * * "You are such a freak!" Bianca cried, pushing away. " Get awa-" * * * "Just look at her. She's never kissed you that way." Even drunk, Ella was still wonderful at knowing just what buttons to push.  
  
Orpheus turned to see his love yanked away: The guy grabbed Bianca and pushed his mouth up to hers. * * *  
  
From far away, Joey couldn't tell the kiss was unwanted. * * *  
  
About 30 miles away, Kat missed the metal milk jugs. Again. It was her second try, so she joked. "Third time's a charm."  
  
The carnie unclenched her eyes timidly, one at a time. "Maybe the faris wheel is for you.: She realized her hands were still over her head and awkwardly put them down. "Anything to make you leave." The carnie thought. A shattered prize box (due to the most annoying 7-year-old girl) was already coming out of her paycheck. She didn't care to subtract more from the balance. "Half-an-hour-to-my-break-half-an-hour-to-my-break" she nearly chanted under her breath.  
  
The game next to Kat's lit up in a blur as annoying happy-go-lucky music rang out and children's cries of "you won!" filled the ten-foot radius. Andrew grinned. "Farris wheel sounds good." He claimed a pink bear. Very gallantly, Andrew handed the pair to Kat, where she rolled her eyes, and put it in her small backpack.  
  
As they left the booth and meandered to the farris wheel, Kat asked "Tell me one of your fears."  
  
A thousand hallmark cards rushed through Andrew's mind, which he had used for past blonde bimbos. Too bad, he thought, that Kat was a natural blonde. He'd never pick her for a real date-she was too smart for him to lie through his teeth. Luckily, as soon as he cashed in enough from Ella, he'd drop Kat. So he really didn't have to worry about keeping an image. So Andrew told the truth. "The cafeteria's fried chicken."  
  
"Isn't everyone?" Kat smiled. "How about something no one else knows."  
  
"Big dogs."  
  
"Big dogs?"  
  
Andrew smiled, remembering, "My best friend growing up, James, had a pair of Great Danes. One day, they decided that I was a chew toy. My mother couldn't even stitch up all the holes in my clothes. She demanded that he come over to my house from then on." They both laughed a bit. "And you?"  
  
He was paying for the tickets- Kat didn't even remember the walk up. "Heights. I have a slight case of acrophobia. The second story of my house is the best I can do." She cautiously got into the seat.  
  
When she was doing so, Andrew slipped the carnie a ten and whispered "Stop us at the top." Then he climbed in next to Kat.  
  
¾ of the way up, Andrew noticed Kat's grip on the handle bar and her eyes closed. Enjoying the opportunity way too much, Andrew began to sway slightly forward and back, making the seat sway.  
  
"Oh, wait, Andrew, do I hear some great Danes down there? If I fall, I'm takin' you with me!"  
  
Andrew gripped the safety pole. "I'll never let go."  
  
"Jack ***." Kat accused, completing the Titanic quote. "You don't care if I die!"  
  
"Sure I do." He laughed." I'd have to start taking out blonde bimbos after my dashing looks."  
  
"You're looks?! Like you could find one." Kat bantered back. He wasn't that bad looking. Not that she could see anything at that moment.  
  
"See that there? Who needs a cheerleading squad when you got witty bi***es?" They were near the top, and Kat still refused to open her eyes. Then again, Andrew was still rocking. But now he was ready for her to open her eyes. Enough Kat and mouse.  
  
"Just stop, please." Kat pleased.  
  
"Only if you open your eyes and look to your left."  
  
When she did, she gasped. "Oh!- Andr- It's THEM!" Kat nearly squealed. "It's them! My favorite-how did Andrew know?- Mandella would love this! I'll have to call her! - This is great! -" She thought. On impulse of extreme happiness, Kat began to throw her arms around Andrew, how she was leaning over.  
  
Then she remembered herself, and awkwardly retaliated.  
  
"Yeah, 'cuz human emotion would kill your reputation." Andrew casually commented.  
  
"It would."  
  
"Right, just like being seen white-knuckled would, too."  
  
"I'm only here because you have this narcophobic side of you, and I like the thought of Bianca climbing down a ladder. The china doll might break a nail."  
  
* * * "You creep! Get away from me!" The china doll pounded on the oaf's chest. He had her against a wall and was trying to kiss her. Even though he was drunk, Bianca was no match for him. He out weighed her by about 100 lbs. "Ahh!" She cried in frustration as she turned his cheek to the right.  
  
"Gary!" A voice behind them called. The oaf whipped around. The voice continued, "What's going on---"the protester demanded, but stopped when she saw Bianca. "Bianca!?"  
  
"Gabbie!" Bianca was grateful her friend came to he rescue.  
  
Gabbie jumped to the wrong conclusion. "You're trying to steal my boyfriend - YOU RAT!"  
  
A catfight might have started, but Gary puked and got Gabbie's attention away from Bianca. Gabbie became compassionate. "Oh, Gary-sweetie, we're going to take you home, ok?" She helped him to the parking lot.  
  
Bianca ran out after her. "But you're my ri-ide!" Bianca protested. She hated the party, especially Gary. He ruined everything.  
  
Bianca lost Joey, her ride, and was emersed in the smell of vomit. Not exactly her zenith. The night was unusually cold for Georgia, and Bianca wasn't wearing a coat. Defeated, she went back inside and went strait for the bathroom and sobbed her eyes out.  
  
At least in Seattle she'd have been the Most Popular Girlfriend when she began to sob.  
  
* * *  
  
After an hour of Kat-bliss: dancing with her band, Andrew said they needed to the club everyone else was it. Kat was too happy to ask why; Andrew was too ashamed to say it was to get his earned money. Kat snapped a picture from the instant camera she picked up earlier and they left.  
  
* *  
  
Ella was dancing. It was the same dance everyone else was dancing with one classic element changed: She was on the bar.  
  
This was the scene was that greeted Kat as she entered the room. Grinning evilly, she whipped out the disposable camera.  
  
~ Ella knocking over glasses ~ CLICK. ~ Ella.was that dancing? ~ CLICK. ~ Perfect. ~ CLICK.  
  
Andrew, on the other hand, was on the opposite side of the bar, leaning against the bar, secretly smiling, proud of Kat. One of Ella's great faults was that she couldn't handle alcohol. Life was great. He started to walk over to Kat, who was enjoying the scene. Some other people, obviously drunk too, were throwing stuff at Ella to get her down. One threw a glass beer bottle, and it hit her on the side of the head. This flung her to hit the glass rack, both the pole itself and some the glasses dangling from it. Like a clip from America's Funniest Home Videos, she slumped into Andrew's arms.  
  
"God!" He wasn't expecting the weight, so he didn't hold her for more than a second before they both went down. And all the time Kat was snapping away.  
  
"Kat, come on." Andrew said tiredly. "We have to take her home." He couldn't leave her there. Her head was bleeding, and she'd kill him the next day. He stood up, Ella still in his arms.  
  
Kat rolled her eyes, annoyed. In a strange way, she was jealous. She was also laughing at the sight, mad at Ella. It was too confusing. "Fine," she agreed. " But I'm driving."  
  
* *  
  
Bianca looked down at the ground. "So, um, thanks for the ride." She looked over at Joey with her puppy eyes. She did her best to explain, but the words wouldn't work. Her make-up was a mess, and so was her hair. She didn't look a bit like the girl Joey asked to dance. But she was the same, deep down : selfish. When they got to Bianca's house, she felt like when her mom or dad would drive her home after a parent-teacher conferecne. That didn't go well. That deep, stoney silence that was the prologue to a lecture was coming on strong. So she just sat back and waited for it.  
  
"Bianca, what in the -" Joey began.  
  
"Et il commence" She offhandedly sighed.  
  
Joey blinked in surprise. "Bi-bianca. That was French. You just said 'it begins' in French." Bianca rolled her eyes. "Well, you ARE my French tutor."  
  
Joey nodded. "I'm her French tutor," He thought. "That's all I am. Her French tutor." He thought for a second and commented. "Ya know, I only know a chapter ahead of you in French. I'm not even taking French! I'm in Latin. I gave up weekends, hours of sleep, lots, just so I could learn French well enough to have the hour to tutor you. And you will never care, will you? It will never make a diffrence what I say or do for you. I will always just be the French tutor.  
  
"Well consider this.  
  
Hic ibat ~as I have told you before~,  
  
Simois, ~I am Joey ~  
  
hic est ~ who is done with your tricks,  
  
Sigeia tellus ~ And tired of your lies.  
  
Hic steterat ~ I tried as hard as I could to win your love, ~  
  
Priami~ But all has failed,~  
  
celsa senis ~ so please get out of my car."  
  
Bianca, seeing the take on Shakespeare, suddenly hated herself. This would have been such a perfect night, had Ella not gotten drunk and Gary not been a jerk. Now it was all ruined. She couldn't say she never lied: she had. And she couldn't say she never used him: She had. But she wouldn't now. Joey wasn't as simple as he seemed. He was sweet, funny, cute, smart, and now angry. She took one last plunge to win him back.  
  
"Now let me try to translate it.  
  
Hic ibat ~I knew you not~  
  
Hic est Sigeia tellus ~I know you now~  
  
Hic Steterat Priami ~ Take heed and hear me well  
  
Regia ~ Presume not Celsa senis ~ Despair not" She leaned over and kissed him. Then without a word, she left the car, closed the door and walked down the driveway, unlocked the house door, and went inside, never looking back.  
  
Joey smiled, unsure of what in the world just happened. He turned on the radio and drove away thinking, "And I'm back in the game!"  
  
" she's blood flesh and bone no tucks or silicone she's touch smell sight taste and sound but somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen  
  
(chorus)'cause she's so high  
  
high above me she's so lovely  
  
she's so high like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc or Aphrodite  
  
she's so high, high above me  
  
first class and fancy free she's high society she's got the best of everything. what could a guy like me ever really offer she's perfect as she can be why should i even bother  
  
chorus  
  
she calls to speak to me, i freeze immediately, 'cause what she says sounds so unreal. 'cause somehow i can't believe that anything should happen i know where i belong and nothing's gonna happen  
  
chorus "  
  
* * Kat pulled up to her house. Andrew, to his credit, was next to her, and never touched the radio. Ella was in the back seat, where Kat had the windows down in hopes that Ella might freeze to death. Just a hope.  
  
"You can get your car now." Kat told Andrew: the first thing she had said to him the entire trip.  
  
"I could." He replied.  
  
"You will."  
  
"Ah, the heartless soul uses her venom once again to strike everyone in sight." Andrew faked an announcer for some nature show's voice. He switched back to normal. "Why DO you put up the masquerade?"  
  
"Why do you?" Kat snapped back. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. "The only thing anyone knows about me is that I'm "scary". No one gets close, no one gets hurt, and I don't get hurt. It works."  
  
Andrew nodded and said, "I'm no picnic myself." They smiled at each other. He waited a beat, and continued. "So what's up with your family now? Living with Ella'd be a pain in the ***."  
  
Kat plainly nodded. "It is. But she can do no wrong in my mother's and Brad's eyes, so I just live with it."  
  
"God, EVERYONE likes her. They aren't the only ones she's had under her spell. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in the entire school that see that she's without." Experience helped him see that. But he decided not to mention that. How he hated working under her. Actually helping her wreck everyone's life. He was such slum.  
  
Kat smiled sweetly at his words, seeing something they had in common. "You're not as vile as I thought you were." And then it happened. The ice between them broke, and they naturally began to lean towards each other to kiss. Kat closed her eyes.  
  
And suddenly pulled away. It felt wrong. This entire night suddenly seemed wrong. That deja vu feeling swept over her, and she wanted something she couldn't have. But she hadn't a clue what it was.  
  
Andrew, confused at her actions, got out of the car. "You're right. Showing emotion did kill your reputation. Too bad." He slammed the door as he left.  
  
Kat laid her head on the steering wheel and considered crying. * * *  
  
For the next week at school, they didn't talk at all to each other. They were both mad, and too stubborn to admit that they did wrong.  
  
Bianca and Joey, however, seemed to be getting closer and closer. Ella began to get madder and madder at Andrew, since he apparently wasn't doing his job anymore. One day she lashed out on him, and Andrew laughed softly. He smiled sadly. "It's over Ella. You lost. Joey likes Bianca, Kat hates me. Just give up."  
  
Ella too laughed. "You stupid idiot. I own you. It's not over 'til I say its over because I won. Do whatever it takes to win Kat back. Do whatever it takes to break up the happy couple. IT IS NOT OVER."  
  
And being an obedient minion, Andrew left, ready to do her bidding.  
  
A/N: OK! NO ONE TOOK MY POLL! BUT I'M OK WITH THAT! PLEASE REALISE THAT A GREAT HAPPY CHAPTER COMES NEXT! 


	10. Andrew sings

A/N: yeah, you guys deserve this chapter.ch.9 was sooooo long. This and the "balcony scene" are my favorite chapters. You don't know HOW many times I've pictured this happening while listening to this song. Oh, to be Kat.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ttihay. um, the song belongs to Bryan Adams.he's cool. Notice the "here I am" from last chapter was by him.  
  
Andrew looked down into his pasta, and twirled the noodles around his fork. He absolutely hated Ella, but was happily surprised when David was so great to help him out. They were the only two that knew. Not even Joey knew about this trick. If there was any doubt in his mind, and there was, he knew he should have backed out. No one would ever be the wiser, and he would still have his pride. But he couldn't. Andrew needed the money, and he hated her glare implanted in his mind. And plus, a week of planting had gone into this.  
  
So Andrew found the courage to look up. He didn't even have to search for David. David had been staring at him the entire lunch period, and getting nervous. Andrew only had ten more minutes to make up his mind. David released the breath he didn't even realize that he had been holding when he saw Andrew's eyes. He got up and walked to the attendant's office. He once again marveled at his forethought to get on the computer and change her schedule. "Would all faculty please come to front office. Thank you." He announced into the microphone.  
  
While David was announcing in one microphone, Andrew was wandering over to another. When all the teachers in the lunchroom left, he flipped the lights.except one.  
  
Kat, like everyone else in the cafeteria, laughed and whispered when the lights went out. But when the light above her table turned back on, she looked around nervously. What could be happening? She thought. But suddenly, horribly, she was shown the answer.  
  
Andrew was smiling like the cat that ate the bird. And he was holding a microphone. He took the kareoke set and the largest speakers he owned out from under the table. Praying to God that this would work, he clicked PLAY on the tape recorder and turned away from the people. As Andrew waited for the music to begin - and his life to end- he couldn't help facing the reality of detention. But then his entrance came, and he turned around.  
  
Andrew began to sing.  
  
"Look into my eyes - you will see eyes up  
  
What you mean to me (slight laughing from cafeteria)  
  
Search your heart - search your soul  
  
And when you find me there you'll search no more"  
  
As he sang, he was looking at everyone, not Kat. Andrew couldn't even think to look up at her. She hates me. This is the stupidest thing I've ever done. Good job, Becker. He thought.  
  
"Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
  
You know it's true  
  
Everything I do - I do it for you"  
  
Becker! He cried to himself. If you want the girl, you have to at least look at her! As he commanded, he dared to look up into Kat's eyes. And unexpectedly, he couldn't turn them away. Becker! He tried to tell himself. The girl is only a client. Don't get involv-  
  
But it was too late. He saw it in her eyes as she laughed and covered her face. And how she looked right back at him. Katarina Stratford had just graduated back to friend. And Andrew thanked God for it.  
  
"Look into my heart - you will find  
  
There's nothin' there to hide"  
  
Oh how he hated to lie.  
  
"Take me as I am - take my life  
  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice  
  
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
  
Ya know it's true  
  
Everything I do - I do it for you  
  
There's no love - like your love  
  
And no other - could give more love  
  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
  
All the time - all the way"  
  
As the musical break began, Andrew began to improvise. At first he told himself that he was going to stay a safe ten feet from anyone and concentrate on singing. But his ego got the better of him, and he slowly walked to Kat's table, making sure it took the entire 31 seconds. The next lines went by slower than the entire song three times over.  
  
"Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for"  
  
Andrew took an empty chair and stepped onto it  
  
"I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more"  
  
He stepped up on the table  
  
"I would fight for you - I'd lie for you"  
  
On that, he had to turn away. The word "Lie" literally made Andrew feel sick.  
  
"Walk the wire for you"  
  
But he, trying to make it seem intentional, twisted around to face Kat.  
  
"Ya I'd die for you"  
  
Andrew got down on one knee for those words. At home, inside his own room, the words were just another part of the song. But here, as he sang them to Kat, he realized he meant them. He honestly meant them. This scared Andrew to death.but he was also thrilled, exhilarated, and overjoyed. He loved Kat. They just stared at each other. She knew it. Weather or not Kat felt it too; she knew what he was thinking.  
  
"Ya know it's true"  
  
Andrew stumbled over these words, almost forgetting the last two lines. The moment had been so intense.  
  
"Everything I do - I do it for you"  
  
Before the last notes of the song were played, All the lights came back on and the principal of Carter High School stood at the front of the cafeteria. "Andrew Becker." He deathly said. And that was it. Andrew turned off the microphone and set it down in front of Kat. Then he got off the table and walked bravely to the principal. The man put a gripping hand on Andrew's shoulder and lead him away "I don't know how you pulled this one off, Becker, but good luck getting out of it."  
  
Andrew did not look back. He knew he was going to be caught, but he didn't know how heinous the punishment would be. He didn't care: it was worth it.  
  
He had won Kat back. 


	11. Hypoglycemia

Chapter 11  
  
Ok, wow, this has been forever! My fault! Thank you so much for all the reviews! Much happiness surrounds me! Oh, and like in movies, the director makes an appearance, well, as the author, I did, too. Look out for Elyse, who is a me (and, as my pen name suggests, a step in for Mandella, Kat's Best Friend) !  
  
Disclaimer: idonotowntenthingsihateaboutyounoranyotherbrandnamesmentionedinthisficcerple asedonotsueihavenolawyerandmeannoharm. I COME IN PEACE.  
  
Kat continued eating, now very conscious of the thousand eyes magnetized on her. "Elyse," she whispered to the girl next to her, "Why does the goldfish thing have to happen to me?" Elyse, however, didn't hear Kat's rhetorical question. She was about half way through a book and truly not aware of most of the environment. Kat rolled her eyes and waved her hand over the page. When Elyse looked up in slight confusion and irritation, Kat began again. "Tell me you didn't see what happened in the last ten minutes and I WILL deem you insane."  
  
Elyse smiled. It was her best feature. She could very well be described as "pretty", but seemed determined not to be. She covered her hazel eyes with thick, non-prescription, horn-rimmed glasses. Her honey hair was always in a bun or braid, completely without flair. Her clothes, while not ugly, weren't trendy, either. Kind of a mix of renaissance and colonial America with a modern influence. So the only thing left for "normal" people to admire was her smile. "Kat, I'm not completely blinded, although the entire concert was quite ostentatious and could shock the unprepared." She adjusted her specs. "But I would kill to have guy do that to me!" She nearly squealed, but giggled instead.  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't that bad." Kat agreed. She thought for a second, "Hey, you work with the front office attendant second period, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are you doing well in the class?"  
  
"I have an A."  
  
Kat smiled; she began to discuss a plan, putting her uneaten food to the side.  
  
* * * That afternoon, Kat sauntered by the front office. Elyse smiled and held up the pink quarter of paper. "Good luck!" She smiled even brighter, and bounced in excitement. Her bun traveled up and down, in the opposite direction of the rest of her.  
  
Kat smiled. "Elyse, girl, you really need to cut back on the romance novels. This isn't a castle. It's high school." Then she laughed sarcastically. She continued walking, but when she turned the corner, Kat had to laugh to herself. This, in a million years, couldn't work. What was the excuse Elyse made? "Reason for leave: Death in family, Older Brother." Kat read out loud. "Older brother?! First, that's not funny. Second, they don't hand out the pink slips with the news already on it." Reading suddenly gave her a headache and made her feel weak. Out of instinct, she looked at her hand. The little pink paper quivered slightly. Out of habit, Kat cursed and ignored it.  
  
To get to the detention hall, Kat went through the cafeteria. Lining every wall were vending machines, which daily saved about half the school from the lunch's mystery meat. Kat, knowing she needed to eat, stared at her reflection in the glass. Almost in a trance, Kat just stared at the mounds bars, the skittles, the mints, and the 3 musketeers. She couldn't figure out how to get food. She couldn't remember the change in her pocket, nor the dollar left over from buying lunch. The only thing that she could remember in her hypoglycemic state was that she had to get the pink slip to Mr. Marcson, the ISS "teacher". So she pulled confused self from the machines and continued on her way.  
  
When Kat found the ISS room, she was so dizzy she was a bit surprised she found the door. She braced herself against the door frame. She shoved the pink slip in her front pocket to free her hand and twisted the door handle.  
  
Andrew, in a desk near the door, was examining his math book's cover. There was no reason to open it. The silence was indefinite and impossible to work in. However, ISS had the perfect conditions to sleep. But alas, the minute his head hit the math book, silence died. The door, with it's rusty hinges, squealed as another lost soul entered and became "inmate for life." Andrew mused. "So who has come to join us in the depths of the Netherworld?" The girl two desks down tittered at the true joke.  
  
In wavered Kat. She swayed slightly and groaned. "Mr. Marcson," She put her hand up to her head. "A student needs to be-", but before she could even remember where she put that darn pink slip, it all went dark.  
  
As Kat went limp and feel to the floor, Andrew jumped from out of his desk and caught her. He stood at the front of the room, awkwardly holding up over 100 pounds of dead weight. Once again, he was the center of attention, although this time it was unwelcome. "Um.Mr. Marcson? Um.Kat might need to go to the nurse." He smiled author's note: I'm melting at my own words! He smiled!! *melts * "And I can't hold her up much longer."  
  
Mr. Marcson squinted under his bushy eyebrows. "Fine, Mr. Becker. Take her to nurse Oleson's office."  
  
* * * About thirty minutes later, school was out. Kat and Andrew were sitting in the nurse's office. She had just re-oriented herself with the world around her. "So you're still here?" Kat asked Andrew.  
  
He shrugged. "Well, it was better than ISS."  
  
"So I got you out."  
  
"Uh-huh. Thanks."  
  
"Want some Coke?" She handed him the bottle. The nurse bought her bottle, complementary of tax dollars.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"Ok then. I need to eat." She looked at her watch. "And go home."  
  
"Need a ride?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Want to stop and get a burger on the way?"  
  
"Even better." They smiled broadly at each other. As an after thought, she mentioned. "Your eyes have a little green in them."  
  
Andrew shook his head. "Come on. Let's go before you loose it again." 


	12. To Tell The Truth

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHAT IS THIS?  
  
One of you reviewers needs to slap me!! What is this, I haven't updated since DECEMBER!?!? I am Sooooooooooooooooooo sorry!! Gosh, I hope this chapter is at least decent, to make up for the 5 months I haven't written!  
  
Oh, and there's a small joke in there, about Andrew and lying to girls.It made me smile when I wrote it, but you know, whatever. If you catch it, you'll know it. It's practically directly from the movie. Oh, and it is not to say Patrick (remember him? Lol) lied.aww, never mind. Just read it.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Right. I have decided I half-own Andrew, Joey, and Ella. I own Brad, and at least a portion of Sharon. Anyone else belongs to the makers of Ten Things I hate About You.  
  
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Bianca crawled into the humid night air. The two story climb down no longer intimidating, but came so natural as stealing to a rouge. In a way, she and a rouge were one, she needed to steal into the night for dates-she and Kat would take turns escaping while the other would date. Brad's rule was not working, and almost fun to break. The bad part was that on the even dates-the ones where she had to sneak out- Bianca could only got to dinner or movies.everything else was closed.  
  
As she slid down the ladder, a bright flash blinded her. She put her hands over her face as the flashes continued, and cried out in protest. "Joey? What are you doing?" But it wasn't Joey.  
  
It was Andrew. And somehow, Bianca was not surprised when beside him was Ella. "Andrew, what are you trying to get at? Is this some joke?"  
  
Ella slithered forward, in a predatory, feline way. "I have pictures of you breaking Daddy's rule. This really puts me in a wonderful position for blackmail, but I'm going to make this easy for you, Bianca." Ella brushed her long black hair behind her shoulder. "Just climb back up the ladder to your room and I won't say a thing." She tried to look sad for Bianca, and then shook her head in disgust. "You got yourself into this, not me."  
  
Bianca glared evilly at Ella. She did an about face and ran up the ladder. Ella calmly took it and returned it to the space between the house and the bushes. She had to give herself a bonus point for finding it that one afternoon when she actually had to weed the yard. Who would have thought that such a tedious, gross chore could be so rewarding?  
  
* * * "Why did I have to take the pictures?" Andrew demanded.  
  
Ella shrugged. "You're under my control, and thus I should exploit you. It's my right. That, and I wanted to see two things: Kat tonight when she comes home from the date you stood her up on, and tomorrow at school when you have to make up and excuse to get out of your crime. I really don't know how much longer you can keep this farce up."  
  
"But now that you won, what's Joey going to do?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? I will take him out. Who could refuse me?" She smiled sweetly. "You couldn't." She cleared her throat. "Now, about prom. I have a complete plan all made up, and you will be rewarded handsomely."  
  
Andrew gritted his teeth. Tonight was going to make Kat mad enough, and now talk of prom wasn't going to thrill her. Ella dared to spark the gunpowder? "How handsomely?"  
  
"Five hundred."  
  
Andrew nearly choked on the sound of it. But as much as he wanted the money, he didn't need it. He glared. "Ella, it's over. I'm done." Like a criminal finally accepting his death sentence, Andrew was carefree as he turned his back on the girl and walked towards his car.  
  
"Andrew! Come back here! You can't say no-you know you can't!" Anger and confusion replaced the normal seductive tone in Ella's voice. But he had already started the engine and backed out of the driveway.  
  
She was right, he realized over halfway home. If he backed out now, Ella would still mess with his life, and kill any chance he had with Kat. It was a loose-loose situation. Ella would see Kat that night, angry with Andrew for standing her up. He glanced down at his clock radio. He was over an hour late. Ella would be more than happy to make Kat feel worse.  
  
"S***. S***,s***,s***." Andrew whispered. How did she do it? Both girls, that is. One destroyed him, and he spent the last year trying to forget it, only to slide back into her scum. Other-this was a turning point. He knew it. Really, it wouldn't have been an issue with any other girl. He was taking care of his grandfather who watched wheel of fortune and ate spaghettios. They all believed him. He could even say he was in Australia for Pete's sake!  
  
He remembered the Ferris wheel, and when he almost lied then. Then, he was thankful he didn't like her. Now, he was lamenting over her loss. The only way he could explain was if he talked to her before Ella did. Something other than the truth. Kat would never accept the truth.  
  
The Prom! It was next weekend. He could apologize by taking her to the prom! It was the best he could think up under pressure. He made a U turn back to her house.  
  
* * *  
  
"You did WHAT?" Kat screamed at Andrew inside her bedroom. He began to apologize, but she stopped him. "No. Get out of my house."  
  
"Kat, if you would just listen-" Andrew tried.  
  
"To what, Andrew? How can you make this all better? Did you think I was just to say 'Oh, Andrew, you ARE wonderful. You gave up $500 to be honest with me." She fluttered her eyelashes a bit with a doll-like face. But the expression changed. "Oh wait, how much was it that you were paid BEFORE to take me out?"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. It was a stupid mistake, and I'll never lie to you again." Yes, he had told Kat about being paid. And apparently, he was right-Kat did not accept the truth. He thought by telling her that he turned down hundreds of dollars for her would soften the blow. Obviously, it didn't. He couldn't even remember how they got onto the subject, or why he told her. But he told her everything, and made sure not to even fudge a little bit on what he did. If he was going to tell the truth, he wasn't going to lie in the middle of it.  
  
Kat did not understand. There was no way to make up for his lies. Earlier that day, she was completely happy. She thought she was going to go to a wonderful dinner with a guy she really liked. Really liked. But she was stood up. That crushed her. When she wanted to know why, he 'apologized' for it by telling her that the whole thing was just a job to him. The feeling of betrayal was too deep for words, a tightening pain in her chest that could not be explained except if described to one who had gone through the same experience. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry. But most of all, she wanted him to go. "Your right, Andrew, you'll never lie to me again. Because I won't let you. Get out of my house."  
  
His last, pathetic attempt to salvage the conversation escaped from his mouth. "We could go to prom together, next Saturday, and it could be alright-" The boy needed to take a class in charisma, or public speaking, and learn when to give up. He stood just outside her bedroom door.  
  
"I'll see thee hanged on Saturday first." She slammed the door closed.  
  
* * *  
  
Ella laughed from her room across from Kat's. "Becker, you're loosing your touch!"  
  
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A/N: Please review!!!! Next chapter is PROM NIGHT! Yey (that's actually how you spell it! Or is it yay? Whatever.) I can't wait! * dances * 


	13. Prom

Fate 13  
  
A/N: Hey, thanks to all my reviewers.I realize (as I'm sure you do, too) the Prom signifies as the beginning of the end. and with that in mind, realise the end is near. That's all.  
  
Oh, and I feel like a script writer or something. I've already thrown out like 10 ideas for this chapter.  
  
Special note: If anyone you know is a biogenetic engineer or something like that, give them a hug and tell them that you don't care if they're company goes under, you just don't want to be infected. But don't let them kiss you. And beware the black swarms. Sorry, I just finished Prey by Michael Criton, and I'm scared out of my mind. I can't sleep, so here I am.  
  
D: See note after chapter.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Andrew smiled into the mirror. He cleaned up well. The classic black tuxedo stood out in razor-sharp contrast to his moon white shirt. He was perfect, complete down to his golden cufflinks. All this trouble and he didn't even have a date. His gaze broke as he caught a box in his peripheral vision. It sat next to his digital clock, silently screaming at him to move his butt. Andrew grabbed the box, his keys, and left.  
  
At that same instant, 20 miles away, Ella was also primping in front of the mirror. The dress was as high style as could be had without importation, and fit flawlessly. She could have had a gorgeous purple one for free, but since she was given it for modeling it in a magazine, then someone else could be wearing it. How dare they match. And besides, she liked the blue dress she was wearing much more. The event was even sweeter because Joey was her date. At the last minute, she slipped between the cracks and stole Joey for her own. She couldn't believe how lucky she was in that. Then she smiled, sure that it was her charm. As the doorbell rang, she left the room and glided downstairs, ready for her close-up.  
  
As Ella went downstairs, Kat was traveling up in sweats and jeans, calmly sipping her double-mocha. As much as she wanted to banter about Ella's overdose of perfume or make-up, she couldn't. Kat was off in her own world and was content to wallow in self pity. The slight satisfaction gained from dissing her stepsister would be fleeting and not worth leaving the world she created. Truthfully Ella was wearing a respectable amount of both. So Kat continued up the stairs, down the hall to her bedroom, closed the door, blasted her music, put the liquid caffeine on the nightstand, and blindly fell back on her bed. Oh yes, Kat loved prom.  
  
Bianca LOVED prom. The intoxicating rush of hair spray, perfume, and excitement swirled in a wonderful aroma around her room. And thoughts of Tom Cruise. She, on the other end of the house from Kat, was quietly playing the "Mission: Impossible" soundtrack. Her dress was all black, which was a wonderful coincidence. She half expected one of the James Bonds to open the door for her as she muted the music and slipped out of the room. AS she slithered into Ella's intentionally empty bedroom, she smiled at the thought of being a Bond Girl. Spying her prize, she wordlessly took out black, to-the-elbow gloves from her purse and placed key objects into her purse, careful not to leave fingerprints. As silently as she entered, she was gone. No one knew, and that was just how she liked it.  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Kat? Kat can I come in?" Bianca knocked softly on the door. Even though the music was loud, she knew Kat could hear. Years of experience taught her how long the wait would be. In the music was soft, then Kat was doing homework, and would welcome any excuse to stop. If the music was a shade louder than comfortable, then Kat was painting, cleaning, or reading. The wait would be a minute, until her sister found a good stopping point. If the music shook the paintings on the wall, like now, Kat was pissed. She would not answer to one knock. Knock again, and Kat's anger would be concentrated on you. At that point, Bianca usually didn't want Kat to answer.  
  
Usually. This time she needed her to. "Kat!" She knocked again, louder.  
  
"What?" The door opened in a flash, and Kat managed to fill the entire doorway. She oozed of contempt.  
  
"Want to go to the prom?" Kat slammed the door. Bianca tried again. "Please Kat, I really want to go. Joey dumped me for Ella and I.I.don't want her to think she's better than me." Bianca sighed sadly. "I can't go without a senior or junior."  
  
The door opened a crack, but Kat refused to stir from the bed. "So you want me to take you?"  
  
There was a pause. "Yeah." Another pause. "You don't have to stay. I just need a way in. And you already bought a ticket. Please?" Bianca stretched the word into two syllables.  
  
The door closed. When it opened again, Kat was in a stunning, spaghetti- strapped red silk dress. As she walked down the stairs, she called to Bianca. "I hate you."  
  
Bianca smiled. "Good thing you hate Ella more." She dialed a number on her cell phone. "The cardinal is leaving the nest. Repeat :The Cardinal is leaving the Nest." She couldn't resist the urge to whisper, "This message will self-destruct in ten seconds."  
  
Kat was in the car waiting. "You are going to pay me fifteen dollars for my services before I even start the car." Bianca slumped and handed over the money. Satisfied, Kat continued. "We are also going to listen to my music and you are not allowed to roll your eyes." She smiled. "No other rules." Bianca smiled back, made a silly face, and put on her seatbelt.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Kat had to park in a nearby gas station to drop her sister off. The entire school parking lot was full. As if to annoy her further, it began to rain as soon as Kat cut the engine. She pulled out her car umbrella and was thankful that the rain was just an annoyance, and didn't cause her to slosh and ruin her dress. She paid a mint for it and did not intend to ruin it the first time she wore it. Especially as dumb of a reason as dropping her sister off at a dumb school dance. She rolled her eyes as the ticket-taker did his job and went inside.  
  
The room was dark, and barely recognizable as the cafeteria. Gold and silver balloons blanked the ceiling. The room was modeled after the Elizabethan Era; the DJ played upon a small scale "Globe Theatre"; the photographer waited behind velvet draperies with 'Throne Room' stitched in gold. The rest was a grand ball room, with great gothic towers in each corner. As soon as Kat and her sister entered, a light projected onto a blank wall and the DJ called out to the dancers, "This next one goes out to Ella Leigh."  
  
Ella froze in the middle of the dance floor and could have sworn the room grew colder. The light on the wall changed into a sign that simply read "Love, Andy" Her eyes expanded and darted around the room. But every one was looking at the wall. A series of photos sequenced in a power point presentation.  
  
Ella with a boy. Then another boy. Another. (Little dates in the corner of the photo revealed them only a day apart, and caused some jeers.) Ella putting on her cucumber mask in the morning. Ella asleep, with a little stream of drool creating a waterfall onto her pillow. Ella trashed, dancing on the bar. From another angle. And yet another. More pictures followed with increasing embarrassment, until one came up with Andrew, Bianca, Joey, and David all sitting casually on Ella's front porch.  
  
Ella turned to her date, Joey, and gapped. He smiled innocently. "You know, the camera adds ten pounds." She screamed and ran towards "Ye Olde Powder Room". Joey was suddenly swarmed with at least a dozen guys, many of whom were distinctly those of the first set of pictures. All clapped and congratulated him. Bianca appeared at Joey's side, and he hugged her. No one noticed when the wall changed once more.  
  
No one except a chaperone, Mr.Moore.  
  
It read:  
  
" Love is blind and lovers can not see-  
  
Lord what fools these mortals be:  
  
By moonlight at her window sung  
  
A poor unmanly melancholy sprung.  
  
The edge of that day's celebration  
  
I have offended reputation  
  
By the dead and drowsy fire  
  
Doubt truth to be a liar  
  
But never doubt I love.  
  
What is done can not be undone  
  
Pray now, forget and forgive  
  
So will I grow, so live  
  
I love nothing in the world so well as you  
  
The course of true love did ne'er run smooth"  
  
*~*~*  
  
Andrew left the image on the wall and smiled. Nonchalantly, he walked over to the punch bowl and began to fill a cup. As he did, someone to his right asked, "So should I give you a zero one your sonnet project for plagiarism or ten extra points for not only comprehending the assignment, but at least five other Shakespearean plays?"  
  
Andrew took a sip of his punch. "How about an A and we'll call it even?"  
  
Mr. Moore smiled. "No one seems to notice it." The music began again, and everyone had gone back to dancing. "Although they all ate up the pictures proceeding it."  
  
"The pictures were meant for one person." Andrew shrugged. "I think she stuck around long enough for my 'thank you' for employing me this past month or so."  
  
"And I'm sure the poem was strictly to impress me."  
  
Andrew didn't respond for a moment. Mr. Moore took it as his cue to leave. Andrew scanned the room and sighed. "It was supposed to impress."  
  
"Do you plan to make a display EVERY time you screw up?" A voice behind him facetiously asked.  
  
Andrew turned to Kat and smiled warmly. "Only if you save me from suspension afterwards." Kat pretended to be annoyed, then agreed. As they began to dance beside the punch table, Joey, David, and Bianca joined them.  
  
Kat stopped dancing. "So you all planned this behind my back?" When they nodded, she asked, "How did you pull off the overhead?" Joey smiled and nodded to the chaperones mixing punch.  
  
Four Library Ladies suddenly looked busy exclaiming over a mysterious cord that plugged into an outlet beside them. Then they shared a smile and went back to making drinks.  
  
*~*~*  
  
AWWWWW. That was nice. Now for my disclaimer.  
  
I compiled the poem from a bunch of The Bard's plays. Here is the list: Merchant of Venence, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Timon of Athens, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, MacBeth, King Lear, and Much Ado About Nothing. How many did you recognize?? Hehe. Tell me, okay?  
  
OF MORE CHAPTERS, I don't know if there really needs to be another one. What do you think? I have a stupid/funny epilogue already written, but it is mostly pointless and was written about a year ago when I was bouncy off of sugar. Tell me if you want it. Tell me if you want more chapters.  
  
Thank you for your patience with my horrible lack of updates. As with my last chapter, I hope this was worth the wait. : )  
  
~ MandELLA 


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